This country is magical mid-year.
It’s a time of wondrous experiences coupled with enthralling events.
We’re showcasing just some of the seasonal entertainment that is on offer right across the land.
Dig up your winter layers and get out and about to discover the best winter experiences across the country, worth battling the cold for.
Ghost Mushroom Lane, near Mt Gambier
If foraging for fungus piques your interest, don’t miss the chance to wander through a pine forest searching for glowing green mushrooms this winter. From May to June, Ghost Mushroom Lane near Mt Gambier leads curious visitors through marked trails to discover enchanting ghost mushroom breeding grounds. Thanks to the bioluminescent properties, these giant fungi glow green, illuminating the forest floor in the dark of the night!
Stay at: BIG4 Blue Lake.
Illuminate Adelaide 2023
Where: Various locations.
When: 28 June - 30 July 2023
A colour show of a different kind brightens the state capital throughout July. Illuminate Adelaide threads light, art, and sound to create a feast for the senses. A stack of colourful projections and installations feature alongside musical entertainment and other sensory delights. The rich vibrancy reaches other SA locations at selected times, including Renmark, Mt Gambier, and Victor Harbor.
Stay at: BIG4 West Beach.
Or elsewhere: BIG4 Renmark Riverfront, BIG4 Blue Lake, BIG4 Breeze – Port Elliot or NRMA Victor Harbor.
Hit the High Country!
Find your own piece of snowy paradise in Victoria’s High Country with winter activities to suit every traveller.
To embrace the snow slopes this year, adventurers can head into the high country to tap into adrenalin-inducing skiing and snowboarding at Victoria’s favourite Mt Buller, Dinner Plain, Mt Hotham, and Falls Creek. On the doorstep of six BIG4 parks, the High Country reveals a winter playground to test out tobogganing or snowshoeing on Mt Buffalo, a dogsled tour at Mt Baw Baw, or adaptive skiing and riding at Falls Creek for snow-seekers of every ability.
East Gippsland Winter Festival
Where: Various locations across East Gippsland
When: 9 June-9July 2023
Winter well with an escape to this year’s East Gippsland Winter Festival, bringing together a packed-to-the-brim program of family-friendly events, including lantern parades, market stalls, creative workshops, wellness experiences, live music, local produce, and so much more. This year’s event showcases the bounty of Victoria’s Gippsland region, with exciting events stretching from Mallacoota and Gippsland Lakes to the High Country.
Stay at: BIG4 Whiters Holiday Village, BIG4 Waters Edge Holiday Park, NRMA Eastern Beach Holiday Park or NRMA Bairnsdale Riverside Holiday Park.
Tasmanian Whisky Week
Get crafty this winter with a whisky-tasting trail in Tasmania's wilderness. To begin this perfectly paired pursuit, hit the Apple Isle, where you'll discover 50 distilleries scattered in every direction. For the serious enthusiast, time your visit to coincide with Tasmanian Whisky Week (7-13 August 2023), where award-winning distillers gather to showcase the state's finest drams, including Waubs Harbour single malt whiskey, distilled in an old salt-battered oyster hatchery on Tasmania's east coast.
Stay at: BIG4 parks in TAS.
Dark Mofo
Where: Various locations, Hobart.
When: 15-22 June 2022.
Inspired by ancient winter solstice rituals, Dark Mofo has emerged as a crowd favourite since it first kicked off in 2013. Hobart comes alive with the likes of large-scale art installations, musical performances, and other entertainment alongside signature showings such as the waterfront Winter Feast and the Nude Solstice Swim.
Stay at: BIG4 Hobart Airport.
Go whale watching
This is the season of humpback-whale migration. The oceanic giants depart Antarctica and head to warmer waters northwards, and the NSW coastline is littered with prime viewing locations as whales make the annual trek up and back. Alongside a raft of viewing hotspots are a boat-load of cruise options where intimate encounters dial the wow-factor up to the max.
Stay at: BIG4 parks in NSW.
Art Month
Where: 1-31 August 2022.
When: Various locations, Sapphire Coast.
Dozens of engaging events add winter sparkle to this South Coast NSW sub-region throughout the final month of the season. Visual art, dance, theatre, music, and other performances stretch from Bermagui to Eden with a distinct focus on local talent. A top collection of great galleries enrich the creative vibe.
Stay at: BIG4 parks in South Coast NSW.
Embrace the dry season
Winter is prime time to explore the Top End, as it falls in the heart of the dry season (May-October). Expect warm, sunny days and pleasant nights while high humidity is reliably denied entry to the party. Whether chilling in Darwin or Katherine or uncovering the territory’s famed national parks, a visit to the Top End in winter is rich with rewards.
Stay at: BIG4 Hidden Valley and BIG4 Howard Springs in Darwin or BIG4 Breeze – Katherine.
Darwin Fringe Festival
Where: Various locations.
When: 8-17 July.
The festival is action-packed: 10 days, 20-plus venues, 100 or so events, and nearly 200 performances. Local artists steal the spotlight, delivering bucketloads of entertainment in the fields of theatre, cabaret, dance, comedy, and plenty else. Exhibitions, workshops, studio tours, and more add to the creative feel that flows furiously through the NT capital each July.
Stay at: BIG4 Hidden Valley or BIG4 Howard Springs.
Catch the sun
As with the NT, winter welcomes the start of a typically drier period in QLD. Temperatures are reliably warmer the further north you go (special comments: Captain Obvious), so while southerners will be happy to just cross the border, those in the bottom reaches of QLD will likely eye a higher climb to find a few extra degrees. Whatever the case, generally, it’s a wonderful time to be in this part of the world and explore a bounty of treasure.
Stay at: BIG4 parks in QLD.
Mary Poppins Festival – Day in the Park
Where: Queens Park & Portside Heritage Precinct, Maryborough.
When: 3 July 2022.
Mary Poppins’ author, PL Travers, was born in Maryborough, so the city celebrates its link to the famous fictional character by hosting this supercalifragilisticexpialidocious annual event. It’s entertainment aplenty with races, challenges, parades, and other fun-filled activities where creativity shines. Maryborough is near Hervey Bay, a whale-watcher’s mecca in winter, which increases the appeal of a Fraser Coast getaway at this time.
Stay at: BIG4 Hervey Bay, Tasman - Fraser Coast, Tasman - Torquay Palms or Ingenia Hervey Bay.
Join a truffle hunt, Manjimup
This is not your average experience, which only serves to make it even more compelling. June marks the start of truffle season and the fertile soils and cool climate of this small South West WA town are perfect for growing the delicacy. A host of interesting insights are revealed during these outings, which run until late August and include tastings.
Stay at: BIG4 Taunton Farm Margaret River, BIG4 Breeze – Busselton, RAC Busselton or Mandalay Holiday Resort.
Cabin Fever
Where: Various locations, Margaret River and Busselton.
When: 15-24 July.
Fun, feasts, and fires all feature via a series of vibrant and diverse events that highlight the region’s many delights. There’s a clear emphasis on Margaret River’s delicious produce, wine, and craft beer along with a generous side of musical entertainment and more.
Stay at: BIG4 Taunton Farm Margaret River, BIG4 Breeze – Busselton, RAC Busselton or Mandalay Holiday Resort.
Book your winter break now. Choose a park above or see all BIG4s here.
Time for a winter escape? Choose your preferred park here.
